Für Elise
by abiholmes97
Summary: Happy Father's Day! Just a short story about Jane being a father and spending the early morning with his daughter. I hope you enjoy!


_Happy Father's Day to all the amazing dad's out there. The inspiration for the title of this fic comes from the episode when Jane hears someone playing the tune on the piano and it reminds him of Charlotte. Enjoy!_

Patrick Jane had been a father before. He had loved with his whole heart his daughter Charlotte from the day she had been born to the day she had died. She was a part of who he was and everything that had driven him for the next eleven years.

He still remembered the day that Teresa had told him that she was pregnant. It was also their wedding day and just made the whole event all the more amazing, all the more precious. He fell more in love with Teresa every day that passed- if that were possible. He couldn't believe that they were going to be parents.

He knew that Teresa was nervous. He was nervous too. Yes, he had done this before, but something felt different this time. More secure, more stable. He and Angela were only young when they married and had Charlotte. He felt older, wiser, more prepared. As the pregnancy progressed, Teresa began to feel more comfortable in herself and her impending motherhood. She began to look forward to the time when they would be able to meet their child and hold them in their arms.

Then, one day in late October, Teresa went into early labor and, three days later, they were holding their brand-new baby daughter in their arms. They named her Willow Charlotte, Jane honoring his late daughter. She had green eyes like her mothers but blonde hair like her fathers. Teresa hoped that it would be just as curly as well.

Both Teresa and Patrick settled into life as new parents fairly quickly, Patrick leaning on skills he had learnt with Charlotte and Teresa a quick learner. Both were completely in love with Willow, spending every moment they could with her. Teresa hated it when she had to go back to work, separation anxiety becoming a major distraction. Jane stayed at the cabin a lot, enjoying the time he spent with Willow alone. They would go for walks round the pond, Willow wrapped in a blanket, just nestled into Patrick's arm. He would also drive to the office to coincide with Teresa's lunch breaks and they would spend some time together.

One morning in the week leading up to Christmas, Teresa woke up from her sleep to find Jane's side of the bed empty and their daughter missing. She pushed back the covers, pulled on a wrap and her shoes and headed out into the cabin. The kitchen and dining area were empty, but the front door was open. She walked out into the chill of the morning air. It didn't get very cold in Texas but having spent months with the temperature being above 100 every day, the temperature suddenly being 59 or 60 did feel cold. Looking around for her husband and daughter, she saw a figure stood over by the pond, the early morning sunlight glinting off his hair. She smiled, knowing it was Patrick. She stood and watched for a bit, completely in love with him.

Patrick had been woken from his sleep by the snuffling of his daughter. He was a light sleeper at the best of times and was easily woken by Willow moving in her sleep or Lisbon rolling over. Careful, so as not to disturb his sleeping wife, he sat up and looked at the time on his phone. It was just after five in the morning. He sighed, knowing that he wasn't going back to sleep anytime soon and walked over to the crib where Willow lay on her back, her eyes wide open, looking up at him. He broke into a grin and placed his finger into her open fist. Her fingers clamped shut round it.

"Good Morning, Miss Jane." He whispered, kissing her forehead, "How are you?"

Willow kicked her legs in response, blowing bubbles. Jane smiled and picked her up, holding her gently against his pajama top. He breathed in the mixed smell of milk and baby shampoo and grinned.

"C'mon little one. Let's go for a walk so we don't wake Mommy." And he carried her outside. The air was fresher than it had been in some time and Jane stood for a moment and breathed in the air. Then he set off slowly, walking out towards the pond. It was his favourite place to go if he wanted to think. He found the stillness of the pond calming and he remembered all the happy memories that had taken place round it.

"It's going to be a lovely morning," he remarked as they got closer and closer to the water's edge, "I think we should watch the sunrise." He found a spot where they could see the light beginning to creep over the horizon, making the sky lighter.

"You know, it takes light eight minutes to reach the earth." He smiled, "Which is why the sun can be above the horizon, but it might still be dark." He looked back out over the pond, "Oh look!" he smiled, "The sunlight's shining on the water! It looks so magical!" he turned Willow in his arms so that she could see. Her little hands reached out as if to grab the rays of sunlight dancing on the water. He laughed and kissed the top her head. They stood like that for a while, Jane wasn't sure how long.

Just then, he felt someone move beside him and he looked beside him and saw his wife. She wrapped one arm around his waist and then smiled up at him.

"Hey." She said.

"Hey yourself." He replied, "Sorry, we didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't, I woke myself. I just wondered where you guys had gotten to."

Jane smiled, "Little Willow here woke me up and we decided to come and watch the sunrise."

"I didn't hear her?" questioned Lisbon, smiling at her daughter who had reached out for her.

Jane handed her over, "She must have moved in her sleep. You know what a light sleeper I am!"

Teresa smiled as Willow snuggled in her arms, "I think she just wanted some daddy time."

Patrick shrugged and placed one arm round his wife's shoulders and pulled her close as the sun rose fully over the horizon, "Who can blame her?"

Teresa laughed, "Always so modest."

Patrick looked down at her and smiled, "I love you."

Teresa smiled back, "I love you too." She looked down at Willow, "We both do"

THE END


End file.
